Category: High School – Sweden

An Exchange Student’s Tips for Things to Watch for on Busses in Sweden (Especially for Americans!)
Public transportation isn’t a very common mode of transportation for many U.S. students, but it is in most other countries! High School Abroad Sweden student Catherine had never taken public transportation before studying abroad in Sweden. Now on program, she takes anywhere from 1-2 busses and 1-2 trains, with commutes lasting 1-2 hours every day! On the weekends, she often uses public transportation to visit friends in various locations. Here’s her advice for any student headed to Sweden who plans to use public transport (in other words, every student!). Catherine goes to school in Nässjö, but travels to other areas near her quite frequently.

By Catherine Daniel
- Starting Your Journey
  - A must have for coming to Sweden is definingly the “Buss App” aka “journey Planner” it is a constantly updating Buss and Train monitor that can tell you all the future routes from the closest Bus stop or train station to wherever you wish to go. Other than on extreme occasions, the busses will arrive at the allotted time give-or-take 3 minutes. When you get on your buss you pay by scanning your refillable month buss pass, this is only about 20 dollars for minors.
  - The first big mistake I ever made was on my first week of school. Making the assumption that the bus station in the town I went to school in was the only bus station in all existence and the mother ship of all busses ever to roam the world. So I got on a totally random bus and simply waited for it to arrive at the bus station. However… I was soon to realize that there is a bus station in every sizable town and the buss I was on wasn’t even coming close to my town at all. The driver realizing I was a total Morton called some of his bus friends and brought me to the first bus station that had a bus going to my home town.
- Changing busses
  - This was one of the hardest parts for me because you will often find yourself at bus stations with several stops all with the same names, you can get confused like myself as to where you should wait. Your host family probably won’t see the point in explaining the bus system because they lived with it their entire lives, so make sure to either ask questions or learn fast. In the beginning always double or triple check the stop you are waiting at and the time you should be there.
    
    On my first trip to school form my new host family in a city far from the one in which I go to school, I got terribly messed up in a bus station. Usually I would take a longer bus to the nearby big city and take the train, but today was different. I got on the bus from my house and got off at a circular bus station with several stops. I knew the bus I was waiting from, but I had no idea where to wait. After about an hour I’d had three whole busses leave me as I was running after them. One of my problems being I hadn’t gotten a SIM card yet so I had no wifi to check the Buss App. Eventually I realized I would have to catch the first bus home and start all over. However! I realized that instead I could take the first buss to Jönköping and from there I would take the train like usual. I succeeded in my endeavor and will forever remember it as a win for me! … even though I got to class a hour late.
  - The Buss (and train) Police.
    
    Now these guys are the real trouble… built like a cross between The Incredible Hulk and a literal Bolder, these guys com on to busses randomly, in uniform, in groups and check that everyone has paid and are following all of the rules. For an American student this means the following:
    
    They approach me and ask for my Buss Card
    
    Upon scanning my card they will realize I have a minors card (I don’t look 16)
    
    Now they want my ID to prove I am 16…
    
    Upon looking at my Drivers License they will see I am American
    
    NOW I have to give them my Residency permit card to prove I’m not an illegal alien and then finally they will leave me to be.
Catherine in front of her bus stop.

I dramatize this of course, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to have all three cards on you at all times. Another problem that can occur with The Buss Police is refilling you bus card. This story is a rather humorous one for me, so much so that I almost forget sweating bullets during it.

Every month your buss card will run out one day before it was purchased the previous month, so if I bought my card on the 1^st (like I do) then on the 31^st it will run out. But if I keep refilling it the same day it runs out then the day will keep moving back and I just like a little more structure than that. So I use my expired buss card every month on the first to go to the buss station and refill it. This is possible because (especially with COVID-19) the bus drivers don’t require you to scan every time, usually simply reaching for your card will work and they will wave you on. One day however, it occurred to me that if The Buss Police were to come on the 1^st then I would kind of be in trouble. My argument “that’s ridiculous I’m sure everyone refills their card on the 1^st so why would they check? Aaaaaand I’ve only ever seen The Buss Police three times since being here, it’s terribly unlikely, terribly indeed…

Long story short — The Buss Police totally came that day but after I promised I was on my way to refill it right now they let me go!

The front of the buss is the number and end destination, this is also the name of the buss on the buss app

The back of the bus shows just the number .

Watch this video below to see how Catherine books her bus ticket:
February 19, 2021
5 Reasons Studying Abroad in High School Will Change Your Life

You are googling high school abroad. You are scrolling through Instagram to see all the inspiring travel photos. You are preparing a powerpoint to easily present this crazy idea to your parents – they may even have said “Yes!!”. You’ve watched all the Youtubers you can and you are ready to go!! What is stopping you? In case you need even more inspiration to take that leap – here is a helpful list of the ways you will be forever changed if you do decide to go on a high school abroad program.

Be part of a select group.

Did you know only about 1,200 students go on a high school abroad program every year? That is for the entire United States! You will be one of the select few students who actually becomes an exchange student in high school.

Develop practical language skills.

There is NO better way to gain fluency in another language. I get asked all the time if it would be better to study abroad in college and don’t get me wrong that is wonderful BUT the problem is you don’t usually get the same level of language and cultural immersion. How you can settle in and learn about the daily life of your host country and how can you have any hope of gaining fluency in the language if you are with international students and speaking English all day.

Have roots on the other side of the world

The host family you stay with will be your family for your whole life! How beautiful is that? You essentially become their son/daughter, you do life with them and that is a bond that lasts. Ask anyone who was an exchange student in high school and they will tell you that even into adulthood, they stay in touch with and visit their Host family. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for a sincere connection with a family abroad. Not to mention your local friends.

Experience being independent

If you study abroad in High school, there is nothing that will intimidate you. If you can leave your comfort zone and spend three months, a semester, or (eek!) a year of high school abroad. You will become SO much more confident, independent, and mature. It’s amazing and you are learning a million things that you could never learn if you stay home.

Prepare for the future

You’ll get much more out of your college years if you study abroad in high school. So many students go to college and have no idea what they want to do. I sure didn’t! Living in another country and seeing another part of the world really helps you understand yourself better and move into your college years with more confidence and clarity.

I hope this list was helpful. If you are still unsure, I’d be happy to talk discuss the options with you or your parents or you can reach out to past and current participants in our Facebook group. Here is my calendar, find a time that works for you and we’ll talk soon!

August 12, 2019

Next Step After Teen Summer Language Camp: High School Abroad

So you just finished your Teen Summer Language Camp. You’ve embraced life with a host family, sampled your new favorite foods, accelerated your language skills and met other teens from all over the world. But the summer is coming to a close, and you wish you could do it all over again, or at least stay abroad a little longer.

And you can! By being an exchange student on a High School Abroad program!

Now, let’s not get confused. Teen Summer Language Camp is NOT just a short version of High School Abroad. The two programs are totally different but go hand in hand.

Here are some of the similarities and differences broken down:

	High School Abroad	Teen Summer Language Camp
School	Local high school	Language school
Accommodation	Host family	Host family or residence hall
Length	Summer (1-2 months), trimester, semester, or academic year	2-6 weeks
When	Summer, Fall, Spring	Summer

Both Teen Summer Language Camp and High School abroad offer full language and cultural immersion, but the lengths and experiences are vastly different.

After successfully completing a Teen Summer Language Camp, you’re ready for the new experiences, joys and challenges that come with studying abroad in a local high school for a longer period.

Greenheart Traveler Alexander Obenchain always knew he wanted to study abroad in high school in Japan. In Summer 2018, a Teen Summer Language Camp in Tokyo was the first step to help him prepare for his academic year high school study abroad in 2019. Easing into the language and culture of Japan in Summer 2018 allowed Alexander to hit the ground running when he landed in Japan for his high school program.

“Coming for a smaller amount of time helped me prepare for the difference in atmosphere between here and the states,” he explains. “It was certainly a good thing to have studied the language a little bit more in-depth beforehand. I can also compare my skills from now to then.”

And navigating the Japanese train system? He figured that out a long time ago!

But you don’t have to return to the same country you went to for your Language Camp. Maybe you went to Salamanca, Spain in the summer, and now that you know you can handle being far from home, want to explore Sweden!

So is studying abroad in a local high school right for you? With improved language skills, you’ll be ready to learn subjects like math, science, and drama in another language. After living with a host family for a few weeks, you can anticipate how much you can learn about a country and its culture through observing (and living) day-to-day life abroad. You’ve proven to your parents that you’re independent, capable and problem-solving.

You’ve gotten a taste, now it’s time to thrive.

August 9, 2019

8 Ways to Support Your Child While Abroad

When you’re a parent sending your child abroad, you know there’s a lot they must prepare for: culture shock, homesickness, and language barriers. But your children aren’t the only ones experiencing a life change.

“This was definitely a learning experience for the parents as well!” says Lisa Hall, mother of high school in Sweden alum Matilda. “It was very hard to not be there to help when things were tough.”

So what can you do? Miles away from your children, how can you still support them? We asked parents of Greenheart Travel alumni share their insight on how you can best support your child while they’re abroad. Here are their tips.

Before they go abroad, talk about life when they return

“Prior to him leaving for the 6 months, we did discuss what he wanted to do at his school in the US during his junior year. He decided he would try to run for student council office while he was overseas. And unbeknownst to his dad and I – he did run, campaigned via Instagram and won the vice president spot for the upcoming junior class here in the US. The lesson to learn…. make goals with your child and then let your child be the captain of that ship while he is away.” -Bonnie Green, mother of high school in New Zealand alum Graham.

Agree on a weekly time to talk – and stick with it

Schedule a time and way to communicate in advance, that way you are both on the same page. For example, decide that they need to check-in on Sundays around 7:00 pm their time via WhatsApp. This way, you don’t need to send them texts throughout the day because you’ll already have a set time to catch up.

Mary Scott, mother of language camp in Spain alum Emmy, explains why it’s so important to give space. “While she was abroad, we made sure we weren’t constantly bombarding her with texts and skype calls which at first was difficult. However, we knew she would have a more enriching experience if she wasn’t having to think about us back in Michigan the whole time. We wanted her to be able to completely devote herself to speaking Spanish and learning about her new environment.”

For Hall, being far from her daughter was “hard in a different way when she was having so much fun, there was hardly any contact! But that was the best kind of growth for us all.”

Olivia McCollum at her high school while studying abroad in Japan

Recognize that YOUR life is going to change

Your life at home is undoubtedly going to change. For Bonnie Green, she and her husband experienced being empty nesters for the first time.

Her advice? Take this opportunity and focus on you.

“Make a list of things YOU want to do while your child is away. My husband and I took dance lessons, had adult only (no children) dinner parties, accomplished house updates, traveled to visit our children who were away at college, visited aging parents, put in extra time at work and started hiking more.”

And that leads us to our next point…

Don’t say how much you miss them or how much you want them home

Your child will most likely be homesick at some point, and it can be really hard to go through that while hearing pleads to come home. Being asked to come back and hearing about what they are missing at home can make a hard day so much worse.

Instead, tell them that you are so excited to hear about their adventures when they are back.

Jacob Dane Chilton with host family in Spain

Encourage them to reach out to local staff and take initiative

Part of why going abroad builds confidence and leadership skills is because travelers are expected to speak up and handle themselves. Instead of telling your teen what to do, or doing things on their behalf, allow them the opportunity to be independent. This is especially important when handling the pre-departure logistics so that they don’t feel totally lost when stepping foot in the airport. “When a problem comes up, discuss the different ways it can be solved instead of jumping in and telling them what to do.” says Scott.

The best thing you can do for your teen is to let them practice communicating with adults and learning how to manage themselves. It can be hard to trust your child to do everything right but giving them that space to grow will make them better prepared for their program (and life).

“I think it is vital that while your child is aboard that he/she become a part of their new community,” says Green. “While he did stay in touch with friends in the states, he made friends in NZ. The small town even had a send-off for him and took him to the airport.”

Read about their country and take interest when they share new knowledge

A great way to get involved in their experience is by learning more about the culture in the country in which they’re going. As you learn about your child’s new home, take note of what your child is excited about. “I was sure to listen to all the positive details, no matter how small!” says Hall.

You could practice making a tortilla española or start listening to the music of traditional Austrian brass band and surprise them with your newfound knowledge.

Greenheart staff member Allison Yates’s mom started learning Spanish when she studied abroad in Argentina. “She knew that Spanish was a huge part of my life, so it meant so much that she wanted to learn it too! It helped her feel like she understood my experience more,” says Yates.

Students attending high school abroad in the Netherlands

Educate yourself on what they might be feeling – and how you can help from afar

A great way to get a sense of the mental and emotional experience of studying abroad is by completing the Greenheart Travel Atlas along with your child. This is tool for before, during, and after the cultural exchange experience that includes personal and professional development, cultural understanding and environmental awareness.

For example, if your normally independent child calls you multiple times a day when they first arrive in the country, you’ll remember it’s likely initial culture shock. You can remind them to follow the Greenheart Travel Atlas tools to overcome this stage and focus on meeting new people and spending time with their host family.

Halls says she supported Matilda by “making sure she knew I was there to talk about things, whether they were positive or negative. I tried to give her as much time as I could, but not to have it be open-ended or all the time.”

While your first instinct might be to check in more frequently, increased contact with friends and family back home only exacerbates culture shock.

Rest easy – they’re in good hands

“We had to give up our control and trust in the goodness and professionalism of others. We did our research, chose a great partner in Greenheart, and raised a strong daughter,” s ays Laura Foster, mother of high school abroad Costa Rica alum, Eleanor.

As parents and former exchange students, Greenheart and our in-country partners know what it’s like to be far from your family, and we work to equip students with the tools they need to succeed.

July 25, 2019
The Student Visa Process Broken Down Step-By-Step

If you’ve ever gone abroad before you have most likely had to fill out some sort of international documents and paperwork. It’s a drag. Who wants to fill out what seems like form after form when you could be creating a travel itinerary of all of the places you are dreaming of going! However, this paperwork plays an important part in keeping you safe and accounted for while traveling abroad. More often than not, your duration and reason for travel determine how much paperwork and planning you have to do.

This blog will serve as a guide to my experience with obtaining a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago. Currently, I am nearing the end of the process of applying for a Spanish Student Visa. I will be studying at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain next year for nine months and couldn’t be more thrilled!

Don’t know what a visa is? Click here.

To be honest, I’ve never really minded filling out paperwork, especially when it came to cultural exchange; I knew it meant that I was one step closer to getting off that plane and interacting with locals. However, I’m going to be frank and say that this application was no walk in the park. Because I will be studying in Spain for over 90 days, I needed to apply for a student visa, and because I would be staying over 6 months, there were additional documents I needed to obtain.

Before I could even start on all of this paperwork, I needed to figure out where my closest Spanish Consulate was and make an appointment no sooner than three months before the start of my university classes. Since I live in Michigan, the closest consulate was in Chicago, a place where I luckily know quite a few people (Greenheart Travel 💚). With my appointment date set, I got to work on the long list of things I needed to acquire.

National Visa Application

I got this from off of the consulate’s website and filled it out with some help from my program coordinator. This form needs to be completed in capital letters and with DD/MM/YYYY format. Once it was filled out, I glued one of my passport photos to it and made a copy.

Money Order

For the Chicago Spanish Consulate, the current fee for a student visa was $160. They do not accept cash or check so I went to my post office to get a money order. I paperclipped this to my application form.

Prepaid/ Pre-addressed USPS Priority Express Envelope and Disclaimer Form

This envelope is a bit pricey ($30 ish) but guarantees that your documents will be delivered quickly and safely. I put the consulate’s address on the “From” and my home address on “To.” The disclaimer form is found on the instructions form from the consulate and states that you are allowing the consulate to mail your passport with the visa back to you.

Original Passport and ID

A passport was something I luckily had already so there was no extra paperwork there. Keep in mind that generally, a valid passport is one that will not expire for at least six months after the date you leave the foreign country. I photocopied my passport as well as my university student ID, and my driver’s license. Be sure to bring your actual passport and cards to the appointment as well.

Two Passport Photos

I got these taken at the study abroad office on my university’s campus for $3, but you can get these taken at a lot of places like the post office or Walgreens.

Original Hardcopy Acceptance Letter, Evidence of Funds, and Proof of Health Insurance

Since I am going through a study abroad provider, this was all taken care of and sent to me.

All three of these needed to be in Spanish or have a translation. The acceptance letter was to prove I was enrolled as a full-time student, the evidence of funds was to assure that I would be able to pay for my program, and the proof of health insurance was to cover any medical fees I might obtain during my stay. I made a copy of each of these forms.

Medical Certificate (For stays over 180 days)

On the consulate’s website, this is one of two additional forms to print out for stays over 180 days. I just made a normal appointment for a physical and brought in the paper. This form states that you are in good physical and mental health and do not have pre-existing conditions. There was a little confusion at my appointment as the form had a Spanish translation of what it said in English that needed to be stamped and signed as well. Because there wasn’t a translator in my doctor’s office that day they wouldn’t stamp it (surprising for a town that has a significant Hispanic population), so I had to come back the next week when the translator was in. I made a copy of this form.

FBI Background Check with an Apostille (For stays over 180 days)

This document was definitely the most frustrating and tiring of them all. It began by going through a service called Accurate Biometrics (there are a few to choose from) to get my fingerprints scanned and sent to the FBI to run the background check. This was relatively easy as I made an appointment online then went into a FedEx office for the scan. It cost about $40 and took just about ten minutes. My results were sent to me the next day through my email.

This is when it became difficult. I needed to get an Apostille of the Hague Convention (this is a kind of “stamp” that makes the document internationally recognized) issued by the US Department of State in Washington DC. I hadn’t received any direction on what this was or how to get it so I emailed my program coordinator and went on the government website. Since I had a little over a month until my appointment at the consulate, I decided not to go through an expensive apostille service and just send it to the Office of Authentications myself. In my envelope, I needed to include my FBI background check, an apostille request form (called a DS-4194), a check for $8 (that was the fee for my document), and a pre-paid addressed USPS envelope for them to send me my document back.

I had read that this would take about 10 or 12 days. When it got to be around that point, I called the office to check my document status. After waiting about 20 minutes on hold, they told me that I was not in the system and that it must be in their mail room still being sorted. I knew I should’ve gotten tracking for this envelope… I called back multiple times over the next couple days and got the same response every time. I started to panic a little as my visa appointment quickly approached. With an urge from my study abroad coordinator, I swallowed my pride and contacted an apostille service. Because I didn’t have much time left before my appointment I was forced to get the “rush” service which was about $300 altogether.

With $300 drained from my bank account, but a bit more peace of mind, I waited for my last document to arrive. It came by mail with 3 days before my appointment. Because this also had to be translated into Spanish, I went through the company One Hour Translation. With my FBI background check and the Apostille, it was around $45 and was sent back to me within 50 minutes. After I received these last forms, I compiled everything into an envelope and waited for my appointment.

But you’ll never guess what showed up in the mail the day before my appointment…

My ORIGINAL FBI background check with Apostille. Yes, the one I DIDN’T have to pay $300 for… My only advice is – buy tracking for your envelopes.

The Appointment

On the day of my appointment, I woke up pretty early to catch a train from Michigan City, IN to Chicago. I got to the consulate a bit early; because there wasn’t a sign in sheet, I sat down and waited to be called. Once called up to the window, I handed over all of my documents and passport. The official checked them all and handed back the originals (to be used while in Spain) and kept the copies. All that was left to do was give him my envelope and disclaimer form. This appointment took no more than 5 minutes. He even thanked me for being so organized and following the instructions!

To be honest, this process was probably one of the hardest and most mentally taxing things I’ve ever had to do. However, I know I truly am one step closer to experiencing new changes; changes that will introduce new people, insights, and ideas to my life.

This post is an example of a student’s perspective of applying for a student visa. This is not a step-by-step guide for applying for student visas. Each country (and each consulate) has different requirements. While Greenheart cannot apply for your visa for you, we provide detailed application instructions and support during the application process.

June 27, 2019
VIDEO: High School Exchange Students Interview Each Other

When deciding whether or not to study abroad as a high school student your mind is likely full of questions like “Will I make friends!?” or “What if I’m lonely?” While we are here to can support you as much as possible through things like the Greenheart Travel Atlas, nothing can beat hearing first-hand from two Greenheart high school study abroad students about their experience.

Ian is an American who studied abroad in France with Greenheart Travel. Paula is a Spaniard who studied abroad in the USA with Greenheart Exchange. How are their stories the same/similar? Watch to find out!

May 28, 2019
The Swedish School System from an Exchange Student’s Perspective
I’ve been in school here in Sweden for a little over two months! Time has gone by so quickly but I’m really enjoying the experience of going to highschool and staying with a host family. There are quite a few differences between the school systems that I noticed quite quickly! I arrived in Sweden by train from Copenhagen in the late afternoon on Saturday and met my host family for the first time. Everything was so new and a little scary, but they made me feel right at home by showing me around the house and having fika as soon as we arrived. Despite feeling more comfortable at home, I was starting school on Monday! I was nervous and I didn’t really know what to expect.

Early Monday morning my host father Mikael walked me to the school and we met with some teachers. I am attending gymnasieskola , the Swedish equivalent of highschool. They gave me my schedule and a laptop and my media teacher, Tommy, took me upstairs to the media room, which is full of computers and cameras. The first big difference between a Swedish and American school is how you address the teachers. In Sweden, they always go by their first name and would find it strange if you address them as Mr/Ms. This takes a little getting used to as I’ve been taught since kindergarten to always use Mr/Ms when talking to my teachers, but I enjoy calling teachers by their first name. I think it makes them seem more like a friend instead of an authority figure.

Secondly, the grades in school are a bit different from America. As I said, I’m attending gymnasieskola –– sort of like American high school. It has three grades and people are usually ages16-19 when they attend.

Here is how it’s laid out:

Förskola and Förskoleklass – like preschool, ranging from ages 1 through 6
Grundskola – 9 grades, sort of like elementary and middle school + freshman year of highschool. Ages 7-15. It’s divided into 3 sections:
- Lågstadiet (grades 1-3)
- Mellanstadiet (grades 4-6) and
- Högstadiet (grades 6-9) Gymnasieskola – 3 years, much like the last three years of American high school.
Despite being 16, I’m taking 2nd and 3rd year classes so I can experience the photography and media program more. Normally, a 16 year old would be a year one student in gymnasieskola !

My first media class had only four other students, and in my experience, many of the class sizes are small to medium depending on what you are used to. Some of my classes range from 5-10 people and some of the bigger classes like math have 15 students. In Sweden, Gymnasieskola is much more tailored to your interests and future career than American high school. My school focuses heavily on media, journalism, and digital arts. That isn’t to say that we don’t have math and language classes as well. In my application process, I was able to express my interests which helped me get into a school that was a good match for me.

And lastly, the biggest difference! The schedule in Swedish school is basically the polar opposite of American schools. When I first received my schedule I was confused about the large empty spots between classes. I asked one of my new friends and they told me there were no classes in those spots and I could do whatever I wanted. I was shocked! In America, at least at my school, classes are back to back and you can’t leave the building freely or be in the halls while class is happening. With these large breaks in my schedule, I am allowed to leave school and do whatever I want whether it be going for a walk, going to a cafe or the store with friends, or heading to the lunchroom. This freedom reminds me a lot of what I’ve heard about a college experience and I really enjoy it. I feel much less stressed about school and I have time to do things I enjoy doing.

Swedish schools also don’t take being late or tardy seriously, which is good and bad. On one hand, it’s nice to not be punished for being a couple of minutes late. On the other hand, sometimes students come in 20-30 minutes late and end up missing most of class. I definitely recommend trying to be timely if you’re thinking of attending a Swedish high school! You’ll get much more out of the class and it’s much nicer for the teacher. Going to high school abroad is an amazing and invaluable experience, and I hope this insight helped. Thank you for reading!
May 9, 2019
4 Ways Studying Abroad in High School Can Impact Getting Into College

At Greenheart Travel, we’re huge fans of studying abroad as a teen. Studying abroad in high school has enormous benefits for your confidence, language skills and personal growth.

But the truth is, high school study abroad isn’t only about emotional and personal growth. It also positively impacts your college applications, including how you explain why you’re choosing your major, applying for specialized scholarships, and proving you’re the right candidate for the school.

Snorkeling in Ningaloo Marine Park, Australia.

I know what you’re thinking: but what about the gaps on my transcript, or if I don’t get credit for the classes I take abroad?! (pro-tip: read this blog post if you’re worried about transferring credits!) Well I’ve got news for you! It’s okay. And those gaps are easily explained in essays and open-ended questions on the application.

Here are the top 4 ways studying abroad in high school positively impacts your college application.

1. You’ll Make Your College Application Stand Out

When I spoke to Kyle, an admissions officer at the University of Chicago, he said, “Anything that makes your application stand out is a good thing.”

Student surfing the Australian coast.

Study abroad in high school takes guts – and that’s a good thing. We’re not afraid to tell you it’s going to be hard sometimes, especially when it comes to facing language barriers, making new friends, and navigating a whole new culture and host family. But what do struggles mean? Growth.

When life gets hard and we learn to solve problems and overcome challenges, we reap the benefits across the board, but we also have a great story to tell – a story that is sure to help you write a heartfelt, powerful admissions essay.

Student on a bridge in Malmo, Sweden.

Plus, your high school study abroad shows you have the maturity, independence and adaptability to hit the ground running when you get to college, and there’s nothing that pleases an admissions officer more than feeling confident you’ll make their school shine.

“A lot of schools are looking for a diverse perspective, and international experiences lend themselves to that,” Kyle said.

2. Scholarship Applications and Interviews Will be A Breeze

After studying abroad, you’ll have some specialized and specific knowledge – and probably language skills – that will allow you to find specific scholarships for what you’re looking to study.

Two students in Salzburg, Austria.

For example, Sierra Winters, a current full-ride Robertson Scholar at Duke University, found her passion for food systems and refugees while studying abroad with Greenheart Travel in Austria, and came back to the U.S. to fundraise for the Syrian Refugee Crisis efforts. “It was a challenging experience, and it was one that I was passionate about, and it lent me the genuineness for which colleges and scholarship programs are looking,” she says.

Plus, after you’ve spent a semester studying abroad in a high school where you don’t know the language and have had to make presentations in front of tons of students…. Speaking about your experience to an interviewer will be a breeze!

Student with homestay parents in Spain.

3. You’ll Know What You Want to Study

Studying abroad in high school opens you to a world of possibilities that you’ve probably never thought of. Seeing what’s out there will help you hone in your skills and passions before you start college. The average college student changes their major several times before graduation and, while we love exploration, it’s better for your pocket and time to already have a clear sense of what you want to study.

Students in the mountains in Argentina.

Greenheart Travel High School Abroad in Argentina alum Erin Clark went to Argentina in 2013 thinking she wanted to study business. Once she got to Argentina, she realized she was far more interested in the travel industry. She decided she wanted to study hospitality and tourism, and “that changed what universities I was looking at, and that’s how I found Niagara University,” she explains.

Imagine how different her life would be now if she hadn’t studied abroad!

4. You’ll Have the Confidence to Say Yes to New Opportunities

You might have already heard the phrase “travel bug.” It means that once you get a taste, you want to eat the whole cake! All of us at Greenheart Travel have the travel bug, and we see that as a good thing.

Latern festival on a street in Japan.

Once you see the life-changing experience of studying abroad in high school, you’ll be inspired to seek out more new and different experiences, like volunteer trips, internships, discovering new places and meeting new people.

Climbing the waterfalls in New Zealand.

“[Study Abroad] put my foot in the door for any job I want – I’m always the first to apply for jobs and I’m very driven, and I go out and get things done,” says Clark.

That’s an attitude that will positively affect every aspect of your life!

March 6, 2019
Managing Money Abroad as a Teen

We all make mistakes, and when you travel across the world there are even more opportunities to mess up. One of the easiest areas to mess up is in managing your money. It is a great time to learn, but a hard one as well.

As a 17-year-old person, I am in the first years of my life where I get to have a job and my own money. Learning how much things cost and how to save your own money is one of the toughest lessons to learn. Luckily there is a grace period when you are young when you don’t have to buy as much as adults. Although this is true when you are traveling there are some differences. There is so much more to do that is new and everything costs money. When living with a host family it is often your responsibility to pay for yourself when eating out, or tickets to things or when you are out with friends.

Before I left on my exchange my parents were constantly worried about me having enough money, telling me how expensive things were going to be. Because they were worried, I did a lot of preparing and fundraisers. I didn’t like doing them and thought it was kind of overkill but I was very glad that I did. You want to have freedom while you are traveling and that takes money. So do some fundraising, get a summer job, and look for scholarships.

Once you are off and to your new country you have a set amount of money. To make sure your money lasts you, the best thing I found to do is find a balance. Instead of getting coffee fours days a week, make it a special thing on Monday. There will be things to do that cost money and you want to be able to do them. But there are also free things to do, like spending time walking around just enjoying your city or town, or watching a movie at home with microwave popcorn.

Even if you think you are doing a good job and finding a good balance you could still look at your bankcard statement at the end of the month and see that you spent way more money than you thought. Before you go, learn the currency conversion from your home currency. Although I thought I had a pretty good idea, when I did the math in my head with some rounding I often found myself spending more on something than I had calculated. I recommend a currency converter app on your phone to make sure you know how much something costs. With my bankcard, there were also some international charges, which could add up. Checking with your bank to find out what the fees are is a good idea.

There will be things that cost money that are worth doing so on your personal budget find a balance. It’s easy to rationalize buying things or spending money sometimes when you are going through a rough time. Some weeks or months you will spend too much money, but you have to be able to notice it and do better the next time. It’s a hard part of traveling but a great lesson to bring home with you.

Fiona MacDonald, from Cantwell, Alaska, is a Greenheart Travel First Time Traveler Scholarship recipient. Learn more about Greenheart Travel’s scholarship opportunities to help you travel for a change!

March 4, 2019
Make the Most of Your Travels by Getting Involved: Play Hockey in Sweden

When I chose Sweden as a country I wanted to study in I knew I wanted to be able to play hockey. I have been playing hockey since I was about 8 years old. Growing up in Rural Alaska it brought me so many opportunities to travel and meet kids who enjoyed the sport as much as I did. Although I wanted to play hockey in Sweden I kept an open mind, as it isn’t exactly a sport you can play anywhere. But once I got to Gothenburg and got settled a little I started to think about playing hockey.

Playing indoor beach volleyball with my class for PE.

Unlike in the United States, sports are not a part of school.

This means that you have to look for community leagues to play sports and can involve a little searching in a big city like Gothenburg. It also means that you probably play sports with all different kids than you go to school with which is much different than at home. Because I couldn’t use my school to find sports I turned to Google! “Recreational Hockey in Gothenburg,” I was able to find a website for the Gothenburg Hockey Club. On the website I found a practice time for the Rec team so one Tuesday night I found my way to the hockey rink which turned about to be only 15 minutes from my house, a huge improvement from the 50 I drive for hockey at home. Before I watched I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know if it was kids or adults, old or young. It turned out to be mostly men and a couple of girls all gathering for a fun game.

Enjoying the Very famous Swedish pastry Kanelbullar on Kanelbullens Dag.

The next week I went back, now knowing more what I wanted, kind of. :))) Being here I have gotten good at not being scared to ask questions and to not beat around the bush as I know when I approach people speaking English they will be slightly caught off guard so I keep it simple. I walked up to the counter at the arena and told the lady “ I am a foreign exchange student and I want to play hockey” She said she didn’t know what I had to do to play but she took me to a guy who I again told “ I am a foreign exchange student and I want to play hockey.” With that he asked me if I had gear, I didn’t, so he found another girl who from the extra gear closet found me a whole set of gear. Once they got me the gear they invited me to play in the game that night.

So in about 20 minutes, I went from not playing hockey to playing hockey in Sweden.

It was a pretty crazy experience sitting on the bench in a hockey rink with a bunch of Swedish hockey players. They were all so welcoming, but really I’m not surprised as so far in my journey as a hockey player all people who come together to play a game are. After playing in that men’s game the girl who helped me get the gear invited me to play with a women’s team the next day. That is the team I now am playing with on a regular basis. The team practices a couple times a week and has games on weekends. Playing with the women I have made many friends. At school, I found it a little hard to find people that had the same interests as me. Because school and sports are so separated and coming in not knowing anyone or speaking the language it is quite hard to find out what kids are interested in which makes it hard to find kids you even want to be friends with. Playing a sport creates a group of people that at least have one thing in common. but all girls who play hockey get along very well. After a long day at school or frustrations at home, it is always nice to be able to go to hockey get lost in the game and enjoy the crazy locker room shenanigans.

Most of the students studying abroad from around the world that are living in Sweden as Foreign Exchange students.

The coach does give the directions for drills in Swedish, luckily many of the words are similar and my coach draws it on a whiteboard. I always try and understand the best I can but if I don’t understand I ask for the directions again in English or one of the girls is always willing to explain. On the team, there are two other girls who don’t speak Swedish but have been in Sweden a little longer as both go to university here so they understand more of the drills and can help me. Although some words are similar I have learned a few important hockey phrases in Swedish. For example, I learned left, vänster, and right Höger, so I know which side wing I will be when someone comes off the ice yelling it during a line change.

I am far from home but hockey makes me feel a little closer.

No matter where the rink is or what language the coach is speaking its still the same. I even found the coach repeats the same things like “keep your head up” something apparently every coach says a lot. Skating still gives me the same feeling and being apart of a team is still the greatest. I couldn’t be more excited to get to play the sport I love while living in Sweden!

Fiona MacDonald, from Cantwell, Alaska, is a Greenheart Travel First Time Traveler Scholarship recipient. Learn more about Greenheart Travel’s scholarship opportunities to help you travel for a change!

Are you also a first-time traveler? Sweden may be the place to start your adventure!

November 12, 2018